All Is Well, Say Sidda, DKS as Leaders Go Into Huddle
The CM had invited his deputy for a breakfast meeting at his Cauvery residence after Congress General Secretary (Organisation) KC Venugopal suggested the interaction
Bengaluru:In a bid to put an end to the tussle over the CM post in Karnataka, chief minister Siddaramaiah and his deputy D.K. Shivakumar met over breakfast on Saturday and put up a united front, asserting there are "no differences or confusion" among them. In New Delhi, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and former president Rahul Gandhi also met to take stock of the raging leadership crisis in Karnataka.
The deal struck between Mr Shivakumar and the Congress high command is his reported projection as the party's face during the 2028 Karnataka Assembly elections. It includes retaining the post of state unit chief. Insiders claim that Mr Shivakumar has been insisting on accommodating his supporters in the Cabinet as well as in various state corporations.
Addressing a joint press conference after a breakfast meeting at Mr Siddaramaiah's residence Kaveri, the two leaders said they will abide by the Congress high command's decision.
“I had a breakfast meeting with Mr Shivakumar because some unwanted confusion was created. It was created by the media. We don't have differences. Even today there are no differences…there won't be any in the future as well. I will ensure that from now on it does not exist," Mr Siddaramaiah said.
On his part, Mr Shivakumar blamed the media for the confusion. Mr Siddaramaiah backed his assertion.
The Karnataka deputy CM said people had supported the Congress party and brought it to power. Hence, the Congress has to live up to their expectations.
Dismissing differences with the CM, Mr Shivakumar said, "We don't have factionalism… We will go together, take everyone along and abide by the party high command."
Mr Shivakumar, who is also the Congress state president, said that during the breakfast with Mr Siddaramaiah, he discussed the strategy for the 2028 Assembly polls to tackle the Opposition parties and also the ways to deal with the no-confidence motion if the BJP moves it in the upcoming winter session of the Karnataka legislature in Belagavi.
The chief minister also exuded confidence in tackling the Opposition parties in an effective manner in the ensuing winter session of the Assembly starting from December 8.
At present an uneasy truce in the Karnataka Congress has been reached. The party high command is expected to be calling both Mr Siddaramaiah and Mr Shivakumar to Delhi to formally put the leadership change matter to rest.
Meanwhile, several Karnataka leaders are camping in Delhi. State Cabinet minister and son of the Congress president Priyank Kharge also met his father in the national capital. Other leaders, including former MP and Mr Shivakumar's brother D.K. Suresh and AICC in-charge of Haryana and Karnataka MLC B.K. Hariprasad, are also in the national capital.